God, Girl, and Goddess
by Pinelle
Summary: Sequel to God and Girl WARNING: MANGA SPOILERS
1. Chapter 1

WARNING: INCLUDES MANGA SPOILERS

* * *

A brown haired girl that continued to appear 18 even though 5 years had passed. A God that continued to look 20 even though 5 years had passed. And a child that looked five when five years had passed.

"So," Hiyori cleared her throat and folded her arms. "Let me get this straight." She took in a deep breath, gently massaging her left temple. "You lost a child."

"A-ah..."

"You lost _our _child... _Again_."

"I wouldn't say lost," Yato waved his hand in front of him as if he was trying to shoo away a fly – in this case, Hiyori. "More like lost sight of."

Her eye twitched. "Lost sight of, he says," she murmured to herself. "Call it whatever you want, but the point is that Aiko-chan is missing."

"Aiko's a smart kid, she'll be fine."

"You know that she's only 5, right?" Hiyori pressured, holding back the urge to kick Yato into a wall. Not like there were any walls at the park, though. "You know that she's ayakashi bait without a shinki, right?"

"I-It's still...day." He started to cower from the figure standing in front of him. She towered over his sitting body, which was comfortable under the large oak tree.

"Right?" she asked again, taking a step closer and forcing Yato to back up against the tree's trunk.

Yato nervously played with the ring on his left hand's finger. Hiyori, awaiting an answer that only came out as unintelligible blabbering, took her index finger and pressed it against Yato's forehead.

"Find her," she ordered before pulling her finger back. "I'll go looking as well." She swiftly dropped her body in front of Yato, exposing her violet tail. "I'll leave my body here for now," she said mostly to herself prior to bending her legs and leaping up to a nearby telephone pole.

Yato silently watched as Hiyori continued to hop from one cable to another, calling: 'Aiko-chan!'

"How far could that kid have gone?" He rubbed the back of his head, pushing himself up with his other hand and balancing himself on his two legs. "She's probably around here...somewhere..."

He gave a quick glance at Hiyori's sleeping body. "Might as well..." he muttered to himself, grabbing her from underneath her arms and pulling her against the tree.

He didn't worry about leaving her behind. Ever since Kokuzo had changed her, she became as unnoticeable as Yato and Yukine were. It was almost as if she were a Goddess herself – of course, excluding special abilities such as being able to wield a shinki or being allowed to have a shrine.

He paced forward – hands in his pockets and chin buried in his bandana. "If I was five, where would I go?" The corner of his eye caught sight of various moving figures. He instinctively turned his head towards them, his eyes locking on the children running around in the playground. He instantly shook it off. "No, Aiko wouldn't be satisfied with something like a playground." His lip curled upwards, letting out a faint chuckle. "Takes after her father."

Yato continued down the cement path, looking left and right and occasionally calling out: 'Aiko!'

One would assume that he didn't care much for his daughter, but really, he just trusted her. She was his daughter, after all. She'd ran off more than once, so this wasn't anything new. And most of the time, Yato had to admit, it was while she was under his care.

"Aiko!" he called out, cupping his mouth with his hands. As the name rolled off of his tongue, he began remembering the day that she was born. A smile tugged at his lips.

"_Isn't she beautiful?" Hiyori asked, holding the baby close to her chest and happily caressing the newborn's cheeks. _

"_Just like her mother," Yato chimed, laying close to the futon where she'd given birth. _

"_What's going to be her name, Hiyorin?" a certain pink-haired Goddess inquired. _

_Hiyori shifted her feet under the blankets, blushing at the name she'd thought of. _

"_Aiko," she responded with red cheeks, averting her gaze from Kofuku and onto the b_aby.

"Aiko!" Yato shouted again. How far could this kid have gone?

Before he could yell out her name once more, he swore he heard her answer his call. Staying silent for a moment and tilting his head in all directions to find the voice he thought he heard, Yato prepared to call her again. "Aiko!"

"Papa!" Yato whipped his body around to find a familiar black-haired, blue-eyed toddler standing right behind him.

"Aiko!" Instead of running and hugging his daughter, Yato ran towards her, picked her up to his chest and ruffled her hair harshly. "Where have you been, you little..."

Aiko struggled in Yato's hold, giggling and kicking her feet.

"I was talking to the lady," she explained. Still laughing, she pointed her finger at a certain direction.

Yato instantly turned to where her finger told him to, but found no one there.

"Hey, what did we say about strangers?" he scolded, letting her onto the ground and scanning the area for any suspicious looking people. "I don't see any gloom, but..." he bit his bottom lip, muttering to himself.

Looking at his daughter again, he displayed an expression between worried, relieved, and angry. "Remember what Mama and Papa told you. Ayakashi like to pick on people – especially Gods. You're still a bit too young to sense these things, so that's why you need to be extra careful," he explained, bending down to her height with his forearms resting on his knees.

"She gave me this!" exclaimed the young Goddess, seemingly not paying attention to her father's words. She reached her hand into her boot and pulled out a piece of paper. "Look!"

Yato eyed the paper suspiciously before taking it from the small hand and holding it with his.

"Cute kid. -Kokuzo," he read out loud, giving the message a smile after finishing it.

He stuffed the paper in his jersey pocket and instantly changed his expression to that of an angry one.

"What did I just tell you?"

"To...To stay away from strangers, right?" the girl twiddled her fingers nervously at her father's tone.

"Ayakashi like to pick on Gods. If you take what they give you, you might get hurt or..." he gulped, thinking about what could happen to Aiko. "...Just be more careful next time. Don't go running on your own anymore. Your Mama was-"

"Really worried," a voice finished his sentence.

Yato turned his head to find Hiyori standing not too far from his left with a soft look in her eyes.

"_Aiko where have you been?!" _

"_I...I was-" _

"_Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" Hiyori exclaimed, tears running down her cheeks. It was the first time Aiko had been lost – rather, the first time she wandered off. _

"_D-don't…" Hiyori's tears dripped down her chin. "D-don't do that again…" _

But obviously, the kid was too adventurous to listen to her parents.

Yato couldn't judge either Hiyori nor Aiko.

Aiko was just a girl that wanted to explore the world and Hiyori was a worried mother. Though he did sympathize with Hiyori more. Especially since Aiko had been spirited away by Bishamon - or rather, Kugaha. She saw it as the worst experience of her life. Yato? He knew a God could take care of him/herself. He _did _worry about his daughter, but not as much as Hiyori did.

"Mama!" Aiko exclaimed happily, flashing a smile.

"Geez, you're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days…" she laughed half-heartedly.

She'd honestly grown used to Aiko disappearing, but she would still freak out every single time.

"It's already late. I'm sure they're waiting for us to eat dinner. We should head home," Yato suggested, starting to walk ahead.

"Don't think you'll go unpunished." One could swear that Hiyori had gone full ayakashi as she said that.

Feeling her cold stare and a shiver down his spine, Yato made a run for it. "Meet ya back at home love ya!" he sputtered as he jumped up onto a building and disappeared.

Hiyori sighed, relaxing her shoulders. "Come on, Aiko. I need to get my body back."

She took Aiko's hand and led her to the tree where her body rested. After recovering her solid form, she walked together with her daughter back home.

Unknown to any of them, someone was watching.

Someone was… giggling.

"Aiko, huh?"

* * *

Hello, everyone! It's been SO long! Sorry about that ^^' But now I am back :D The timeline right now is (obviously) the future, but I wanted to include more characters, so I added major plot points such as the Bishamon arc. There are other major plot points I'll be including later. If you have not read the manga, DO NOT READ THIS FIC. Thank you for your support!

To any that have read my one-shot, it is completely irrelevant to this story.

Also, Aiko means "child of love"

~Pinelle


	2. Chapter 2

"Please, Tenjin-sama! I'll do anything!"

"I'm sorry, but…"

Tenjin looked at the young teenage boy with pity in his expression. He glanced at his shrine maidens, all of them avoiding eye contact with the teenager.

"W-where am I supposed to go?!" he cried.

"I would take you in, but I already have enough shinki for now."

"If I don't find a master soon, I'll be eaten by ayakashi!"

Tenjin brought his fan up to his mouth and pressed it against his lips, thinking. Yes, there was someone.

"There might be a young goddess that could take you in… If you're willing to serve her."

"A young goddess? Who?" the boy - the boy without a name - asked, his navy blue eyes shining with hope.

* * *

"Ai-chan, have another cookie~"

"Kofuku, you're spoiling her," Daikoku scolded, scooting the plate of cookies closer to him and farther away from Kofuku.

"Ehhhhhh?! No, I'm not!" she pouted. "Ai-chan deserves these cookies because she's a good girl."

Daikoku sighed, allowing Kofuku to take the cookies back.

"It's fine, Daikoku-san," Hiyori smiled.

"I thought you were angry at Aiko for running off again," he commented.

Kofuku didn't hesitate in grabbing the cookies and telling Aiko to take whatever she wanted, without listening to Hiyori and Daikoku's conversation.

"No… I can't say that I'm angry. On one hand, she's still only five," she gave Aiko a quick glance. Her face twisted into worry. "But she's also a Goddess. I can't stop her from exploring."

"Even for Gods," - he lit a cigarette, it wouldn't damage Aiko - "Being five still requires supervision and guidance."

"I know that… it's just…" Hiyori dropped her head, looking into her cup of tea.

"Yato, huh?"

She took in a deep breath, picking her head up slowly and looking around to make sure he wasn't near.

"Aiko needs a shinki, but he doesn't want her to get one. He understands her need for one, but he wants to wait until she's a few years older," she told him in a low voice, leaning her head towards Daikoku.

"She's also taken a liking to going on her little adventures more than usual lately, hasn't she?" - he took in a deep breath of smoke - "You guys can't chase her around all the time, but a shinki…" - he exhaled - "a shinki will stick to the master no matter what."

"Exactly. And it makes me angry how he can just let her wander off when he won't even get her a shinki. If he doesn't want to get her one, then he should at least pay close attention to what she's doing," she complained.

"Well, why don't you tell…" his voice faded. This was Yato they were talking about.

"I've tried telling him, but he… He'll just say that he'll be more careful next time he watches her," she gave a quick glance at Kofuku as she giggled away and played with Aiko's hair. "And you know I can't watch her all the time."

Daikoku was about to say something, but his mouth shut closed when he spotted Yato walking in through the sliding door.

"I'm home," he announced wearily, taking off his shoes.

Not too far behind Yukine followed him, wearing the same exhausted expression.

"Hard day today?" Hiyori asked, praying in her mind that Yato hadn't heard any of what Daikoku and her were talking about.

"75 ayakashi today," he replied, sitting next to her.

"Yukki-nii's home!" Aiko trotted away from Kofuku and towards Yukine. She opened her arms widely and took a hold of Yukine in between them.

"Hi, Aiko-chan," Yukine smiled, petting her head, which only reached up to his waist.

This, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Yato.

"A-Aiko? Papa came home too, you know?" his bottom lip quivered.

She turned to look at Yato, arms still tightly holding onto Yukine.

"Yeah, but Mama says you make her angr-"

"OKAY!" Hiyori interrupted, clapping her hands together. "Why don't Kofuku and I go get dinner ready?" she faced Kofuku, who nodded, smiled, and made her way into the kitchen. Hiyori followed her.

"Did I do something?" Yato asked, eyeing the kitchen.

"When don't you?" Yukine sat against the wall once Aiko had let go of him. And Aiko imitated his actions.

Daikoku nervously put his cigarette on an ashtray in front of him, hoping that Yato wouldn't direct his attention toward him - which he didn't have time to do.

"Pardon the intrusion," was heard at the door.

"Tomone?!"

The short-haired woman frowned at the sight of Yato.

"6 years later and you're still calling me that."

"Oh, Mayu. Is there anything you need?" Daikoku questioned. "Take a seat. Would you like anything to drink?" He was about to get up and fetch whatever she asked for.

She directed her attention to Daikoku and shook her head, to which Daikoku sat back down.

"No, thank you. I won't be taking long."

"What brings you here, Mayu-san?" Yukine asked.

"Tenjin-sama sent me," she smiled gently at both Yukine and Aiko.

"Tomo-nee!" Aiko pointed her finger. She'd only met with Mayu a few times. And she wasn't very familiar with her yet. All she knew was that her name was Tomone, or so Yato claimed.

Mayu sighed in defeat. What point was there in correcting the little girl when she lived with… _that? _

"Ah, Mayu-san! I thought I heard something going on here," Hiyori exclaimed as she walked into the room.

"Good afternoon, Hiyori-san," she greeted politely, slightly bowing her head. "Tenjin-sama has an offer for Aiko."

Aiko's head shot up at the mention of her name. "For me?" She still wasn't quite certain on what "offer" meant, but anything and everything that was for her peaked her interest.

"What kind of offer?" Hiyori tilted her head curiously.

"Hey, Orange Hair, come in!"

Everyone in the room concentrated on the door, as if they could make this said "orange hair" appear faster.

A teenager - no older than 16 - shyly stepped into view. His hair, as Mayu had stated, was orange and his eyes were a shade of dark blue. He wore jeans - ripped and a simple white T-shirt.

At that moment, Kofuku stepped into the room as well. "A shinki?" she whispered to herself. Everyone was so distracted with the new face that they didn't see her.

"This young shinki needs a master," Mayu looked at Aiko, then back at the adults - specifically Yato and hiyori. "Are you willing to take him in?"

Hiyori grinned. It was the perfect opportunity for Aiko to get herself a shinki. Someone that could protect her.

"I - _we _\- refuse," Yato said plainly, crossing his arms and glaring at the boy.

"Yato!" Hiyori scolded. "She needs a shinki and you know it!"

"We don't even know who this guy is! He could be a serial killer!"

"Yato, he's dead for God's sake!"

"You!" Yato scowled at the shinki. "What's your name?"

"Uh - uhm…."

"Haaa? What kind of idiot doesn't know his own name?"

"Yato, he doesn't _have_ a name!"

Before Yato could continue with his nonsense, Aiko asked, "Will you be my friend?" to the teenager.

Having been caught off guard, he blinked, then smiled gently. "If you're willing to be my master."

Aiko turned her head to Yato. "Papa, can I give him a name?"

"But-" He looked at Hiyori, who gave him a glare that could cut through metal.

"If she doesn't give him a name, I might quit and become Aiko-chan's shinki instead, you know~" Yukine teased.

On the inside, he understood why Yato was overly suspicious of this guy. First off, he was a guy. But he also agreed that Aiko needed someone to protect her.

"F-fine…" Yato finally agreed.

Mayu nodded at the boy, who stepped forward, closer to Aiko.

Aiko stood from her seat beside Yukine. She stuck her index and middle finger together, folding the ring finger and pinky. Pointing at him, she began:

"You, with nowhere to go and nowhere to return. I grant you a place to belong. My name is Aiko. Bearing a posthumous name, you shall remain here. With this name, I make thee my servant. With this name and it's alternate, I use my life to make thee a shinki. Thou art Umi. As shinki, Kai. Come, Kaikki!"

* * *

Hi, guys! :D

Sorry for the slow updates, but I'm a busy person. I know, I know, I'll try to update sooner next time. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Aiko gets her shinki ^.^ I'm excited to write Umi's character! If you guys are wondering how Aiko doesn't know what "offer" is, but she is able to say "posthumous," it's because I assume that in the Noragami universe, Gods are born with the knowledge on how to name a shinki. So it's kinda like a natural thing for her. I hope you'll keep reading. Thank you for leaving reviews~

~Pinelle


	3. Chapter 3

"You're slow, kid!" Yato called out, jumping from one roof to another. Every now and then, a small ayakashi would appear and he would easily slice it in half with Sekki in his hands.

"Umi says that he's trying his best," Aiko breathed, half-heartedly wanting Yato to hear as she followed him through rooftops.

He scoffed. "I'm not even going all out." He jumped off of the roof that he was currently on and landed lightly on the pavement below, muttering something like about Aiko's new "weak-ass" shinki.

Aiko landed next to Yato, trying to catch her breath from all the running, jumping, and hunting ayakashi.

"Yukine, revert," Yato ordered, kanji shining blue from his hands and turning into the young boy.

"Umi, revert," Aiko mimicked her father. Two lights emitted from her body. One from her right hand, where she had a bow tightly gripped; and the other from her back, where a medieval-looking quiver hung.

The new shinki appeared to Aiko's right, trying his best to avoid looking at Yato directly. His cheeks were slightly pink from embarrassment.

"Are you even trying, Umiko?" Yato growled, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes on the boy.

"A-Ah, y-yes, sir," Umiko stuttered, keeping his head low. "I mean… I-I haven't been a shinki for very long - a few months," he explained, feeling\ beads of sweat forming on his hairline.

"Well, you need to step up your game if you want to serve Aiko, the great Goddess of…." Yato's voice dropped. "Well…"

"Aiko-chan is still deciding what kind of Goddess she wants to be," Yukine explained to Umiko, a warm, understanding smile on his face.

"Aiko-sama still doesn't know?" Umiko questioned, slightly tilting his head to one side. "Does she have to decide by a specific date?"

"You see…" Yato started, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Cases like Aiko's are rare, she usu-" he stopped.

Umiko furrowed his eyebrows, blinking with a confused look on his face. "What's rare about Aiko-sama?"

Yato remembered. He hadn't told Umiko about Aiko being half human. The time and place didn't seem right, he concluded.

"It's a long story," he explained, taking his right hand out of his pocket and scratching the back of his head. "We can tell you all about it at home."

"I-if it's a delicate subject, then-"

" 's just…something I can't really explain right now."

Umiko wanted to say something more, but he decided it'd be best of he stayed silent. He didn't know if it would be acceptable for him to be told whatever information Yato was referring to. He'd only been serving Aiko for about a week or two, so what right did he have to know?

"It's not anything bad, if that's what you were thinking," Yato assured Umiko after seeing the way he nodded his head timorously - slowly.

Umiko did, in fact, feel assured.

Yato was hard on Umiko. And he would occasionally be rude, too. But Umiko had a knack for observation. He noticed how Yato had started to talk more casually to him than before, and how he had stopped complaining about lack of space in Kofuku's house. No more "food is scarce!" from his mouth.

"We should get going, then. Dinner's waiting for us at home," Yato murmured after a slight sigh, turning around and advancing in the direction of _home_. "We can talk about it over dinner…" he breathed in a low huff.

"_For us." _

Umiko wasn't sure if he had been included in that "us" or if Yato was referring to Aiko, Yukine, and himself; but he was glad.

"_Home."_

The word rang sweetly in his ears, causing him to unconsciously curls his lips upwards.

"Umi?" Aiko looked up at her shinki, noticing - and feeling - the grin on his feature.

"Hmm?" he sounded, snapping out of his thoughts.

She tugged at the sleeve of his jacket. This was something that Aiko would do often to get his attention when she had something to say.

"Papa likes you," she whispered, smiling brightly.

* * *

"So, Umiko," Yato took a sip from his sake. "You ready to know Aiko's story?"

"If that's alright with you and Hiyori-san, then…" Umiko twiddled his fingers nervously, staring straight down at his lap and shifting his legs under his body.

"We insist on you knowing, Umiko-kun," Hiyori politely told him.

Slightly raising his view from his legs and onto the kotatsu, he nodded. Then, slowly, he moved his head up to look at Yato and Hiyori in the eyes.

Well, it was the only people he could look at. Hiyori and Yato had told the others to take Aiko out for ice cream while they talked to Umiko.

Taking in a deep breath, Yato began. "Hiyori here," he said, "she's human."

Umiko's eyes widened and his pupils shrunk in a minimal amount.

"Human?" he echoed, trying to understand what he was saying. "But-"

"She'll age?"

"Yes…" Umiko answered hoarsely.

"You see, Umiko-kun," Hiyori pitched in. "When I met Yato, I was human - still am, but certain circumstances turned me into a half-phantom, as you've witnessed," - she motioned her head towards the pink tail swishing happily behind her - "and that was when I was 15 years old."

Umiko intently listened to every word she said. If he had a piece of paper and a pen, he would be dotting down notes.

"Hiyori and I were starting to get worried about our difference in ageing rate, so we went to a Goddess by the name of Kokuzo."

"Kokuzo?"

"Goddess of Space and Memory," Hiyori explained.

"In exchange for the memory of Hiyori's family and friends regarding her existence, Kokuzo could make her age as slowly as a God... But it was then when she informed us that Hiyori was carrying Aiko."

"By changing my ageing rate while Aiko was still in my womb, Aiko was also affected. Thus becoming a regular Goddess. Apparently, she would have lived a human's lifespan if it wasn't for what Kokuzo-sama did," Hiyori finished, awaiting Umiko's reaction to all of this.

Umiko stayed silent for a few seconds. He had a look on his face that told Yato and Hiyori that he was still processing this rare case.

"I see… so that's how it is," he said in a low mumble. His expression changed from thoughtful to relieved, which was accompanied by a simper. "Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me," he thanked, bowing his head.

Hiyori turned to look at Yato, a smile of her own on her face. She was surprised to see one on Yato's mouth as well.

"We're back!~" Kofuku announced, holding a chocolate ice cream cone in her hand, a bit of chocolate was noticeable at the corners of her lips.

Daikoku walked behind her, holding nothing but Aiko's miniscule body on his shoulders.

"I hope we didn't come back too early…" Yukine wondered to himself, albeit he spoke loud enough to assume that he was talking to everyone.

"No, we were just finished," Hiyori responded.

"Umi, let's go play outside!" Aiko crawled off of Daikoku's broad shoulders and beamed at her shinki.

Umiko chuckled lightly. "What would you like to play, Aiko-sama?"

Aiko rushed up to him and tapped his shoulder, yelling, "Tag, you're it!" before she ran off giggling into the backyard.

"She's got a lot of energy," Daikoku commented. "But she's a good kid, Umiko."

Umiko nodded - with confidence. "Now if you'll excuse me," he announced, making his way outside.

"I could get used to the brat…" Yato murmured.

"He's a good kid, too, Yato," Daikoku told him.

"I know."

* * *

Hey, guys!

Hope everyone liked this chapter. As you can see, I'm trying to develop Umiko's character as much as I can before I get into main conflict of the story. Again, I apologize for late updates because I'm a procrastinating little crap. Anyways, I don't plan on making the chapters too Umiko-centric, but it might turn out that way. I don't know. Please let me know what you think of Umiko since he _is _an OC and I would love to see what you guys think of him and Aiko as well. I would also love to hear what you guys think of Umiko and Aiko's relationship. More specifically, do you guys think that they make a good team/friends? Please leave a review. Feedback helps me improve and keeps me motivated. Thank you!

~Pinelle


	4. Chapter 4

"Thyme…"

Brushing her fingers along the shelves, Hiyori whispered to herself. She scanned each container thoroughly, searching for the right condiment.

"Aha!" she shouted in victory after finding it.

She took the container off of the shelf and placed it into her shopping basket. Being the last item she needed, she proceeded to the cash register to pay for her goods: rice, eggs, cheese, sausages, tomatoes, oranges, thyme. Each used to make someone's favorite food.

Umiko liked riceballs, Hiyori thought. Aiko liked riceballs-

"Ah! I'm sorry!"

The sound of Hiyori's basket hitting the ground was heard not too long after. Oranges bounced up and out of it.

"I'm so sorry, miss! I bumped into you and I didn't even see- I'm so sorry!"

"No, it's fine!" Hiyori assured as she bent down to pick up her basket and the escapee oranges.

The woman - she sounded around 50, maybe? - bent along with Hiyori and tried to help her gather the fruits.

"Here," she handed two oranges to Hiyori.

Hiyori looked up to see her - she hadn't even looked at her in the face.

"T-thank you,"

She gratefully took the fruits and placed them back into her basket.

The woman stood straight and Hiyori did too. They gave each other a quick bow and the woman left after apologizing one more time.

* * *

"Welcome back," Yato told Hiyori as she walked in through the sliding door.

"I'm home," she said hoarsely, making her way straight into the kitchen without even looking at him.

Yato furrowed his eyebrows worriedly.

It happened again, didn't it?

He knew.

He just _knew_.

He quickly followed Hiyori into the kitchen to find her putting the groceries away.

"You saw someone, didn't you?" He pursed his lips.

"Why would you think that?" She continued opening cabinets and placing food in its respective place without even looking at him.

"You always get like this when it happens."

She stopped for a brief moment - hesitating. "My mom," she told him simply before continuing her actions. A slight crack was heard in her voice as she said those words.

"At the grocery store?"

She nodded weakly.

Yato wanted to say something. He _had _to say something… But he just didn't know what.

Sometimes it'd be Ami or Yama. Other times it'd be her parents. She even saw old classmates and teachers at times. Yes, she'd willingly given up her human life, but not being recognized by the people you'd known for such a long time still hurt.

And there was nothing Yato could do about it. What was he supposed to do? A part of him felt guilty. It was his fault that she was like this. Maybe he _should _have cut- no. No.

"Y-Yato?"

Hiyori felt warm arms coil around her body and gently squeeze her. The sweet smell of her husband made its way into her nostrils.

She froze, dropping her hands onto the kitchen counter and stopping what she was doing. Hiyori wasn't sure if she was shocked or touched by his actions. But she knew that either way, she felt at ease.

"Thank you," Yato whispered into her shoulder, nuzzling her and hugging her tighter.

Hiyori smiled even though Yato couldn't see it. She knew why he was thanking her.

'_Thank you for staying with me'_

* * *

"Umi, look! An ayakashi!" Aiko enthusiastically pointed her finger at the small, round creature.

"It seems so, Aiko-sama."

"Do we get rid of it?" she asked, looking up at her shinki.

"It's not really necessary to, but it _can _cause trouble in the future."

"Papa always gets rid of them anyways."

Umiko sighed, staring at the greenish-purple phantom just a few feet away - by a lamppost.

"We shouldn't fight when Yato-san isn't here. If something happens, we don't have any back-up."

"It's small! And we're really close to home!"

Umiko gave her a worried expression.

True. Home was just a few minutes away and the ayakashi was small, but he didn't feel right turning into Kaikki if it wasn't an emergency or training. He also didn't want to lose the trust that Yato had given him. After all, he'd let him and Aiko go to the park on their own. Well, with Hiyori's help, of course.

"C'mon, Umi! We'll be done fast!"

Umiko let out a slight groan.

"Fine, but just this one."

Aiko beamed at him and almost instantly called his name.

"Kaikki!"

The kanji on his left arm shone blue, emitting a light that was bright enough to light the late afternoon.

A fine wooden bow appeared in Aiko's hand and a cotton quiver hung from her shoulder.

She reached into the quiver without losing sight of the phantom and placed it in the bow.

"I think I can hit it from here," she murmured as she aimed with one closed eye.

Steady.

Taking in a deep breath, she began to remember everything that Yato taught her.

_Relax. Don't be scared. Don't show fear._

She let go of it without hesitation, letting her breath out as she did so.

The next thing she saw was the phantom squealing in agony as the arrow pierced through its head. It twitched and rolled on the ground, its body crumbling and light emerging from the inside. With one last ear-piercing scream, the ayakashi exploded into a million fragments of light.

Feeling satisfied with her kill, Aiko relaxed her shoulders and dropped her arms from fighting position.

"Umi, revert."

Umiko immediately appeared at Aiko's side. It was over sooner than he thought.

She turned and instantly flashed him a grin.

"Oh, Papa will be so proud, he-"

"Are you sure Yato will be happy with this?"

Aiko whipped her body around, spotting no one. It wasn't Umiko that had spoken.

"Umi, did you hear that?"

"Yes. Sounded like a gi-"

Drops of water echoed through the empty street, the sun finally disappearing in the horizon.

"He worries an awful lot, doesn't he?" the voice bounced around Aiko and Umiko's ears teasingly.

The creaking of a branch was heard, and the Goddess and her shinki looked up at a nearby tree.

"He'll be angry, won't he? He trusted you, after all."

A young girl... 12, maybe? She wore a white kimono tied with an obi that was colored in multiple shades of red. Her hair was short and black. Her eyes were dark, almost hollow. And she had a devilish grin on her face.

She stood on one of the tree's branches gracefully, holding one of her hands to her mouth, her oversized sleeve covering it.

Umiko instinctively stood in front of Aiko.

"Wh-who are you?" he demanded hastily.

"An old friend of Yato," she answered calmly, gently rubbing the spot on her skin where "Hiiro" was once tattooed.

Umiko continued to glare at her. He didn't trust her even one bit. Something about her made the hairs on his nape stand. And those tattoos that covered her body. That meant she was a shinki, right? But why so many….?

"State your business, then."

The girl tilted her hide sideways, trying to see Aiko.

"That little girl is Yato's daughter, isn't she?"

"I asked you first!"

She erased the smile off of her face and her expression changed to displeased.

"Rude. I didn't even want to talk to you in the first place."

She jumped off of the branch and landed a few feet away from them, moving so that she could get a clear view of Aiko.

"Aiko-chan?" she called sweetly as she smiled, spotting the little raven-haired girl clinging onto Umiko.

"Boundary!"

A wall of light separated them in less than a second.

The girl stepped back in surprise, her displeased expression returning.

"You're annoying," she hissed. "You can't keep us from taking back our family."

"Your family? What are you-!"

Umiko was talking to air. She was gone.

After looking around and making sure that the coast was clear, he undid his boundary.

"You ok?" he asked a very frightened Aiko.

She nodded slowly, looking at the ground.

But the words kept echoing in his mind.

_Us. Our._

* * *

Soooo. Nora finally makes her appearance! Thank you everyone for sticking around even though I'm slow at updating! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it ^.^

~Pinelle


	5. Chapter 5

Umiko spent the next few days pondering on whether he would tell Yato about the encounter with Nora.

"_Umi, please don't tell Papa!" _Aiko had pleaded.

On one hand, if Yato found out, he might lose trust in him and, on the other hand, it was probably better to inform Yato so that he could have his guard up. Umiko was leaning more toward telling him. Yes, he would get his trust taken away, but if it were to keep Aiko safe…

"Yato-san, may I speak to you?"

"You're speaking to me now," he responded, promptly knitting a sweater for his daughter in the dining room.

"I-I mean in private," Umiko eyed Hiyori and Kofuku, who were sitting under the kotatsu and enjoying a cup of tea.

Yato set the half-knitted sweater on the kotatsu. "If ya wanna quit, Aiko's the one should you go to," he said with a smile trying to break through his poker face.

"Oh, no, sir. It's nothing of that nature!"

"Tch!"

"It's just… something I need to discuss."

"Yato, you're being rude, just go!" Hiyori hissed.

"Fine. Fine. Let's see what ocean boy wants," Yato declared, standing up and leading the way to the garden.

Umiko not so closely behind, as he was intimidated by Yato.

Yato did not particularly dislike Umiko, but he was just being protective over his daughter. Hiyori seemed to have complete trust in him, however. Since he had had that negative experience with Yukine, he was terrified that the same thing could happen to Aiko and Umiko. Yes, eventually she would get a shinki, but she was so young…

"So?"

"Remember when Aiko and I went for a walk in the park last week?"

Yato narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "What about it?"

"Well, I think someone might be targeting Aiko-sama."

Yato's eyes abruptly changed their expression. If there was someone out to get Aiko, there could only be one person.

"Why would you think that?"

"When we were walking in the park, a girl in a white kimono approached us and tried to take Aiko with her," he explained, purposefully leaving out the whole ayakashi-slaying part. "I drew a line and that seemed to spook her away." He might as well give credit to himself.

"I see... " Yato absorbed the information and tried his best to remain calm. "I think it's best if you and Aiko don't go out alone anymore."

Umiko slowly nodded. What would be the point of arguing? What did he expect? He knew Yato hadn't lost trust or faith in him, but he did feel worry building in his stomach. Even though Yato was doing this to keep Aiko safe, it still felt like he was doing it out of spite.

Yato was ready to turn his back to Umiko and continue knitting Aiko's sweater, but Umiko seemed to have more on his mind.

"She also said that Aiko-sama was her family… Do you know what that might mean?"

A chill ran cold down Yato's spine, shaking his being right to the core.

"Family?"

Umiko nodded shakily, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer. A personal thing, perhaps?.

"I don't know," he lied, "we're the only family Aiko has," he half-lied. "Whatever that girl told you, you shouldn't listen. She was probably someone wanting to get her hands on a demi-god."

"She also had many tattoos on her - names. Why did she have so many? They couldn't be names, could they?" he urged, concerned with the unfamiliar sight.

"Yes, they're names. I mean… probably," he tried to make it clear that he didn't know the girl even though he did. "That would be a Nora, then."

"Nora?" Umiko did not know what that meant, but he did know that it made him even more sick to the stomach than he already was, butterflies fluttering wildly from his intestines and clogging up his throat, making it hard to swallow or even breathe.

"Shinki that belong to more than one god."

"That's possible?"

"Anything's possible, kid. Allowed? Yeah, technically, but it's not very praised."

"If it's a bad thing, why would someone-"

"Imagine a stray cat," Yato interrupted.

"Huh?"

"It does not have an owner, but it has many people that will feed it on occasion. Same concept with a stray. They are not obligated to stay with one master. They will benefit by being taken care of, while the master uses them for… acts that they wouldn't use their own shinki for."

"Acts?"

"I need to finish knitting that sweater."

* * *

"So, what did Umiko want?" Hiyori wondered as she got ready to go to bed. The others that shared the room: Aiko, Umiko, and Yukine were already fast asleep.

"Remember my father?" Yato asked from his futon, sitting in an upright position.

Hiyori's face instantly turned sour. She recalled that horrible person's face, or rather, the face he'd stolen - Fujisaki.

Father had engaged in battle with Yato a few times before he disappeared, but that had been years ago. They'd tried their best to conceal Aiko's existence from him, but the birth of a Japanese demi-god wasn't that common and word had probably gotten out.

Fujisaki hadn't caused much trouble in present-day, aside from the occasional fights when trying to get Yato back to him, but Yato had told Hiyori about his childhood. He explained how he was forced to kill, how he was beaten senseless when he wouldn't follow orders, and how he couldn't get rid of him because Father was the only thing keeping him from disappearing.

"_But you have me! I remember you!" _Hiyori had told him.

But Hiyori wasn't human anymore. Aiko's existence as a half-human half-god hybrid could possibly be enough to be Yato's lifeline, but it was a longshot they were not willing to risk.

"Of course…" she responded to Yato's question.

"Apparently Nora paid Aiko a visit while she was out with Umiko."

Hiyori's face turned at least 3 lighter shades, immediately twisting her expression from sour to complete terror. How did they find out about Aiko?

"W-what are we gonna do?"

Yato looked at his tiny shrine sitting beside him and scooped it up gently with both his hands.

"Takamagahara," he whispered softly.

"Eh?"

"We could move to the heavens."

"Yato… That plot you bought is not nearly enough for the 5 of us," Hiyori remembered the miniscule plot that Yato had purchased. It wasn't even being used, so she often questioned its usefulness.

"We'll buy a bigger one!"

Hiyori gave an exasperated sigh. "With what money?"

"We can borrow some from Kofuku!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." And she was right. Any money that came from the goddess of bad luck and poverty was sure to ensue chaos.

"Okay, what about borrowing from the psycho?"

"If you're still calling Bishamon-san that, why would you think she would lend you the money?"

"She acts all tough on the outside, but I think she secretly has a thing for me."

Hiyori rolled her eyes and gently massaged her temple. "I guess we could try Bishamon-san if you're polite, but do you know how long it'll take us to pay her back? We need at least 10 million yen to build a decent house."

"Time, my dear, is our biggest advantage," Yato said as he lie down on his futon.

Hiyori did the same, tucking herself nicely under the blankets.

Time was the most valuable possession they owned.


End file.
